Sipping chocolate at Cacao's near The Heathman Hotel in downtown Portland was only the beginning of our "Epicurean Tour" last Saturday! In the works for months, Portland Walking Tours teamed up with a few very interested Oregon innkeepers and we headed out to devour the city!

Led by Bob, tour guide with Portland Walking Tours, we covered about 2 mi. of ground. And thank goodness we did because it helped walk off all the extra bread I ate at Pearl Bakery!...well, I had help! After donning the hair nets and washing our hands we were led to the bakery's kitchen. Oh wow...not a good combination. A bunch of innkeepers in a bakery kitchen?...might have seemed like a good combination at the time. Thank goodness we have manners, don't mind sharing and the fact that at least two of us had camera's kept us on our good behavior.

On to Elephant's Delicatessen and through the back door, we tasted the best tomato soup. Specializing in sandwich's, salads, soups, cookies, etc., this sweet deli has a little bit of everything for every visitor!

Some of us know what Portland has to offer to our visiting guests from out of town. Just ask Pam and Carl over at Heron Haus Bed and Breakfast in Portland or former restaurant owner Patrick over at Forest Springs Bed and Breakfast in Gresham and they will concur...Portland is among the leading cities offering that perfect itinerary for culinary travel and culinary experiences in the nation! Brew pubs of which we got tastes of, offer so many different tastes and types of beers that it's no wonder that Portland is known as the brew capitol of the world. Toss in a few wineries and a taste at a local gourmet shop and you have found another reason to come here. Where else in the world can you go and walk in to some place called The Tea Zone & Camellia Lounge and have a cup of hot tea or a mixed drink?...a tea/cocktail.... What a great place and so very unexpected!

So, continuing our noshing fest, we sampled pear and Canadian bacon style pizza all made with local ingredients. We ate gelato, drank berry soda, ate raspberry tea cookies, tried curried dips with rice crackers, sprinkled finishing salts made of truffles on our palms and lapped them up with flavors so surprising we had to buy some to take home! A very tasty way to spend a Saturday afternoon in Portland!

So, when you come here to Oregon this year or when you are contemplating on where to vacation or holiday this year, begin with us...your innkeepers that know where all the good food is! We can tell you, show you, point you in the right direction and help you with your culinary travel plans and help show you how to have that culinary experience of a life time...right here...in Oregon!

Thanks to David and Bob at Portland Walking Tours for our very fun day! We had a great time!